


distractions

by bucksnatalia



Series: soviet spouses drabbles [8]
Category: Black Widow (Comics), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: #BuckyNat Week, Bucky Barnes is a Good Guy, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Grocery Shopping, Snark, they're basically married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-02 00:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6542407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bucksnatalia/pseuds/bucksnatalia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Bucky wants all the sugar, Natasha loses a grown man in a grocery store, and Bucky is a Good Guy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	distractions

**Author's Note:**

> For Buckynat Week's Domestic Tuesday (one week late exactly.... further proof I'm the worst at getting things done)!

 “James, you do _not_ need that much sugar.”

There was a pause as Bucky’s hand froze halfway to the shopping cart, clutching a box of chocolate cakes. Maybe, he thought, she wouldn’t be questioning his life decisions if it weren’t for the several boxes of sugary breakfast cereals already in the cart.

He wasn’t allowed sugar for seventy years. Let him _live_.

“Everyone needs this much sugar,” he said smoothly, carefully looking anywhere except at Natasha, who had crossed her arms and was shooting him her most affectionately scolding expression.

“James.”

He dropped the box into the cart, whistling casually as he began pushing the cart forward again.

Natasha set her hand out to stop him. “ _James_.”

Bucky pretended to be bewildered. “Yes?”

“If you’re going to get this much sugar, we need to get fruit, too,” she said with a tone of finality – but she was smiling at him as she pulled on the end of the cart to turn it around.

With an overly dramatic sigh, Bucky obliged.

“Fine,” he huffed, “But only because there’s sugar in fruit, too.”

Natasha laughed and playfully punched his arm. “Idiot.”

Bucky snorted, turning out of the aisle. For once, they had a day off – and they were spending it running all of the errands that couldn’t get done when they were constantly working, such as stocking their fridge.

They didn’t mind. Any time together when they didn’t have to worry about getting _shot_ was good to them.

Together they turned into another aisle where the canned fruits were stored. Natasha was already picking them off the shelves when Bucky noticed a woman struggling to reach something on a higher shelf ahead of them.

“Okay, so I think this is enough –” Natasha broke off as she turned only to realize that Bucky was no longer standing behind the cart where she had left him. For a moment she stared blankly at the empty space where he’d been, wondering in shock how she could have lost her boyfriend in the grocery store, of all places, when she heard his voice behind her.

“There you go, ma’am,” he said in a kind voice, and Natasha spun around. Bucky had reached up for her and taken the item off the shelf, handing it to her with a smile. “Need anything else?”

“No, no,” she assured him, smiling back gratefully, “Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem,” Bucky insisted, and walked back to the cart where Natasha was grinning at him. He froze a few steps, confusion crossing his features. “What?”

“Have you realized that you never stop?” she asked, leaning slightly against the cart.

“Um… never stop what?”

Natasha waved her finger towards him, as if to indicate his entire _being_. “Superhero-ing.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “I got something off a high shelf for a short lady.”

“Exactly,” Natasha agreed with a nod, beaming at him. “Look at you. Paying it forward, being all altruistic.”

“You’re making a very big deal out of a very small thing, Nat,” Bucky chuckled, reclaiming his place behind the cart to start pushing it again and rolling his eyes playfully at her. Natasha only watched him a moment longer, something like pride gleaming in her eyes, before following.

What could she say? He’d been so _low_ for so long, barely willing to leave his bed, let alone go save the world. Seeing him show genuine kindness, when he had gone so long without knowing if such a thing existed, to a complete stranger was refreshing.

She wouldn’t have brought it up again, if it hadn’t kept happening - but as it happened, Bucky kept finding new distractions from their errands, and Natasha couldn't help but notice. 

First it was the woman who couldn’t reach the top shelf, and then it was the toddler who dropped his toy (who Bucky, of course, couldn’t help making a few silly faces for before Natasha reminded him that they had shopping to do). Next it was an elderly woman struggling with the self-checkout.

“Technology, these days,” Natasha heard her saying from the other aisle over as the cashier scanned their items. “It’s all changing so fast, I can’t keep up with it. Things were much different back in my day.”

“You’re telling me,” Bucky responded dryly, and it took everything Natasha had not to snort.

The good deeds continued as he then helped the woman carry her bags to her car, letting her tell him all about life in the ‘50s while Natasha pushed their cart full of groceries to their own car. From a few spots down she could hear the entire conversation as she loaded the trunk on her own, snickering softly to herself.

“Oh, no, don’t put that one there,” Natasha heard the woman say, “The eggs are in that one. Put it there instead.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky replied somewhat sheepishly, though when Natasha turned her head she noticed that he was smiling.

By the time he was finished helping, Natasha had already settled herself behind the wheel and was playing Solitaire – purely for the irony – on her phone while she waited. Bucky at last ducked inside the car just as she won her game, leaning back into his seat with a sigh.  

There was only a moment’s hesitation before Natasha asked, “So when do you plan on declaring your intentions with Dolores, over there?”

Bucky didn’t even miss a beat, keeping his gaze straight ahead but unable to wipe the smirk off his face. “Her name was Betty, actually.”

Natasha shook her head. “I always knew you would leave me for a younger woman.”

Bucky snorted. “Just drive.”

* * *

 

It was late in the day by the time they were settled once again in their apartment, the fridge full and the pantry stocked. Bucky had made a point of dramatically collapsing onto the couch the first opportunity he got, and Natasha had seated herself so that he could rest his head on her lap. Her hands were absently playing with his hair as she gazed down at him, and she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him – eyes closed, rolled on his side with his cheek settled on her leg.

“You wanna know something?” she said softly, tracing a fingertip along the line of his jaw.

“What?” he murmured back, sounding barely awake.

“You’re a good man.”

His eyes opened at that. There was something suddenly dark in them. “I’m not, really.”

“You are,” Natasha insisted, though her voice and touches were gentle.

He began to turn over, as if he meant to sit up. “Natasha…”

“Listen,” she said softly, taking his head in both of her hands. The touch persuaded him to stay down, now lying on his back and looking up at her with uncertainty in his gaze. “I know you don’t think so. You’ve done things you can’t take back. We both have.”

“And helping an old woman carry her groceries isn’t going to fix that.”

“But it does something else.” Natasha gently laid a hand on his chest. “It shows that you have a good heart.”

There was a pause before a small smirk tilted Bucky’s lips. “Were you _trying_ to sound that cliché?”

“I mean it,” she said with a smile, gently shoving at his shoulder when he laughed. “Idiot.”

“Your idiot,” Bucky shot back, grinning at her. “With a _good heart_ , apparently.”

“I’m just proud of you, okay?” Natasha finished affectionately, leaning back into the couch in defeat. One of her hands returned to playing with his hair, the other gently touching his cheek. “Of course there’s still a long way to go, but you’ve already come so _far_.”

Blue eyes searched her face warily before Bucky sighed and relented. “If you say so.”

“I _do_ say so.” Her voice was soft and kind – and certain. There was no question about it, in her mind. “You’re getting there, James. Someday you’ll see.”

With another sigh, Bucky closed his eyes, turning his head inward towards her. “I sure hope you’re right, Nat.”

“When am I not?” she teased, curling some of his hair around her fingers absently.

To that, he could only smile.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported my Buckynat Week drabbles thus far, it means a lot to me! Remember I am always accepting prompts at imaraptornotadoctor.tumblr.com if there's ever something you'd like to see me write. 
> 
> Thanks again!


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